The CARBIO partners apply a multidisciplinary approach to exploit the potential of multi-functional carbon nanotubes (CNT) for biomedical applications, in particular to act as magnetic nano-heaters, drug-carrier systems and sensors which allow a diagnostic and therapeutic usage on a cellular level. CNT with tailored functionalities (different filling, heat sensitive caps) will be synthesized and modified to become compatible to biological systems. Their chemical and physical properties will be studied in order to find mechanisms, which can be applied for a biomedical purpose in appropriate medical devices. Studies of their interaction with biological environments (immune response, toxicity, interaction with the single cell) will provide the basis for applying the CNT for imaging (nanoparticles-based contrast agents), sensoring (nanoparticles-based diagnostics) and cancer treatment (hyperthermia, nanotechnology-based targeted drug delivery).

The program duration is from October 2006 to October 2010. Project funding is €3 million. Besides the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, which is taking the lead, eight European research labs participate in this program: the universities of Dresden, Toulouse, Stettin, Oxford, Twente, Linz und Surrey.

Source: Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden